I whizzed through the other eight answers, keeping it short and sweet, and throwing in the odd joke.

‘That’s all I can tell you for now, but you know that because I’m obsessed with the weather, you don’t have to be. Enjoy the rest of your night and I’ll be sure to keep you updated.’

I stopped, took in the room of stunned faces and wondered if for a second I’d got it horribly wrong. Then Baxter Bigwood did his final finger point of the night, said, ‘That’s how to stay top of the leader board,’ before turning on his heel and disappearing through another set of doors.

As soon as Baxter had gone, Henry broke into a giant grin.

‘I can’t believe you had the gall to brand me a nerd.’

‘Excuse me?’ I almost choked on the restorative gulp of bubbles I’d just swigged.

‘Sir Henry of Nerdville?’ He arched one eyebrow. ‘All algebraic equations must bow before his geekdom?’

‘The fact that you can remember that only proves that you’re the nerd. It was a throwaway comment after you’d beaten me in the maths challenge by one point.’

‘Some might hypothesise that only a fellow nerd could score within one point of Sir Henry.’

‘I think I just proved how great a nerd I am.’ My smile was almost giddy. Having the approval of a man like Baxter Bigwood was intoxicating.

‘Bravo, Bea,’ Lincoln said, walking over. ‘That was… incredibly sexy, actually.’

‘Behave.’ I rolled my eyes, cheeks colouring. Lincoln had a husband back home, but I still didn’t know how to handle comments like that, even when the person clearly didn’t mean it.

‘No, I’m serious. There is nothing more attractive than competence, wouldn’t you agree, Driver?’

Henry coughed and blinked before switching to robo-Henry mode. ‘Well, I don’t know…’

‘Apart from looks, money, and power, I suppose.’ Lincoln winked. ‘Seriously, you smashed this evening. If the rest of us don’t up our game, we might as well hitch a ride back with Cynthia.’ He paused to check his watch. ‘Which is why I’m heading off to get some sleep. Great to see you. Unless you continue to thrash me, in which case I’ll wish you were never here.’

‘Shall we go?’ I asked Henry as the others settled down with a fresh bottle of fizz. We were heading to the door when Summer appeared out of nowhere.

‘Congrats, Bea. That effortless girl-next-door presenting style proved why you’re the main forecaster and I’m stuck in the milkman slot.’

‘Thank you.’

‘Let’s hope Baxter is still so impressed by a girl when tomorrow he gets to see a real woman in action.’ She threw a smouldering look at Henry. ‘Sweet dreams, Driver.’

‘That’s an illogical argument.’ Henry frowned as we made our way along the hallway. ‘He saw her this evening and ranked her second.’